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Love Audio's online blog - What's happening in the world of Paul Webber!I will be updating this page as an online blog so I've changed the order around slightly. You'll now find the more up to date info at the top and the history further down...enjoy!February 2010 I have been applying for radio sales roles since June of 2009, with little success, sign of the times I guess. However, I applied for a role recently, which was advertised on UK Media, requested all the information regarding the application, filled in the forms, sent them back and waited for the closing date to come and go. Then, on 10th February, I received an email telling me I had been shortlisted for the role of Business Development Manager for Prescap, Preston's Community Arts Project. The interview took place at Preston FM's offices on Wednesday 17th February 2010, where as well as the interview, I had to produce a 10 minute presentation as if to prospective clients! They must have been impressed with me because the following morning, I received the phone call, you know, the one you dread, but in this case, it was a positive one, because they offered me the role! I'm pleased to say that I start work for Prescap on March 22nd and will be relocating to the city of Preston in order to be closer to the area I'm to cover in the role.
Paul Webber, who is sole owner and founder of Love Audio, has been in and out of the radio industry for 22 years and has gained a lot of experience in production values, best practice, sales and marketing. This page is almost like an online CV, but details the various stations and jobs that Paul has worked at over the years. Years 1976 - 1980ish! - Paul teamed up with his cousin Phil Kethro and school chum Kevin Mills, to form mobile disco outfit "Disco Sensations". Phil has promised to dig out some old photos and when he does, you can be sure they'll appear here! We mainly did house parties using two record players nailed together on a fantastic make-shift DJ unit, which consisted of a tea trolley with wings and four flashing lights...honestly! Years 1980ish - 1987 - Paul went solo and formed The Nightline Roadshow. The dates are approximate as I can't find all the diaries! Venues ranged from the local youth club, Winterbourne, to a summer season at Coast View Country Club in Shaldon, Devon and loads of other venues in between. Paul had an agent at that time as well...The Neil Govier Agency in Exeter, Devon. Thanks to Paul's cousin Wayne for digging out this sticker logo which Paul had designed! Paul's day jobs at the time ranged from fruit machine engineer to field sales exec and later telesales exec for a couple of stationery and office equipment firms.
Year 1988 - Taunton Hospital Radio in Somerset is where it all began, radio-wise anyway. Paul was a presenter and even chairman there! Paul's day job was as a telesales exec for Somerset Office Supplies after being poached from Office International.
Year 1989 - It was whilst working in the office equipment and stationery trade in Taunton that he heard about a new commercial radio station launching. This was the birth of Orchard FM, under the guidance of David Rogers, the late Phil Easton and Australian country music fan Howard Bowles. Paul invited them down to the hospital radio studio to hear him on air and the rest is history! Paul worked there as full time presenter and tech-op for five enjoyable years. Colleague Dave Mason has kindly supplied a couple of photos of Paul at the new radio station and yes, he's got hair! Click on the link to go to Dave's Orchard FM archive page: http://www.davemason.tv/training/OrchardFMGallery-theearlyyears.php
Year 1994 - Paul left Orchard FM and went into the pub trade for a while but continued to freelance for GWR fm and Galaxy 101 in Bristol.
Year 1997 - Paul moved to Birmingham, where he lived above a pub for a while but also where he joined Choice 102.2 which later became Galaxy. Paul co-hosted the Breakfast show for six months, with Tammi Arthur.
Year 1998 - Paul moved back down south again, this time it was Wootton Bassett, and became Breakfast presenter at GWR fm for Swindon and Wiltshire. Co-host this time was Suzanna Bateman, who was also the news editor there. "One of the highlights of doing the breakfast show on GWRfm Swindon & Wiltshire was working with the morning crew, in particular, Andy Stiles, our 'eye in the sky' travel reporter. This one occasion makes me laugh so much. On the motorway nearby, a herd of cows had escaped from a field and caused mayhem one morning. take a listen to this aircheck from 1998!"
Paul then moved onto the afternoon drive show on GWRfm Swindon & Wiltshire for a short time before making the move up to the North East. Here's a short aircheck from Paul's show when a contestant winner was lucky enough to win over a grand in cash, just for listening.
Year 1999 - Guess what? Another move, this time 300 miles up the country to Stockton On Tees and to Afternoon Drive presenter on the then EMAP-owned TFM!
Year 2000 - Missing the south too much, Paul upped sticks again and this time headed for the south coast, Portsmouth to be precise! The station, The Quay and a weekend breakfast shift and freelance swing work, whilst working in a call centre for Southern Electric and also for a car leasing company.
Year 2001 - Just along the coast, at Chichester in West Sussex, Spirit FM was looking for a full time Breakfast presenter, as they'd not had a permanent fixture on that shift for some time, so, after submitting a demo and then being chosen from among 30 or so applicants, our Paul landed the role as Breakfast show host at Spirit FM and took the audience to new heights at that time of the day. He kind of ended up co-hosting the show initially with Sam Twomey, travel lady and good friend. Paul and Sam took part in a 10K Road Race in London, in aid of 4Sight, a charity for the blind, based in Bognor Regis. Later, Caroline Kingsmill joined Paul, not only co-hosting the show, but also joining him on the odd outside broadcast or three!
Year 2004 - Itchy feet and a change of management at Spirit FM lead Paul to decide to move up North, this time to Warrington, in Cheshire. He started doing freelance swing shifts for Wire FM and for Wish Fm in Wigan. Later, Paul started the weekend breakfast shows at Wire whilst holding down a day job in a call centre. He then heard of a sales exec vacancy at Wire, applied and got the job. He stayed in the role for a year and had great success, in fact coming top in the whole Wireless Group at one stage, bringing in the most amount of new clients to the station. Paul then moved to Manchester in late 2005, to work for Messaging Warehouse (UK) Limited , a supplier of telephone on-hold solutions.
June 2006 until June 2009, radio beckoned once again and Paul heard of a sales role at Dee 106.3 in Chester, applied for it and got an immediate interview. Paul became Senior Sales Consultant at Dee and ran Love Audio in his spare time. Paul also DJed at a number of bars in the area including Oddfellows, Bar Lounge, Bollicini, Got Wine, Room, Fiesta Havana, Meze, and many others. Also venues like Residence in Nantwich and Congleton, Wrenbury Hall, The Coach House in Blakemere and many many parties at hotels and venues across the North West.
This is a picture of Paul with Neil Fagan, Communications Manager for Urenco UK Limited, Capenhurst. Paul also comperes for Xuberance Events, such gems as the Gardening Show, which is happening on the 5th and 6th of June 2010, The Motorbike Show, which is on 7th and 8th August 2010 and the Llangollen Food & Drink Festival, which is on 16th and 17th October 2010, all at the Royal International Pavilion in Llangollen. Paul continues to work with On Hold Communications on a freelance basis, providing the voice for their Video Business Cards and telephony services. He already provides voice over work for Steve and the team at On Hold via Love Audio! Paul also provides Telephone On Hold voice overs for SOH Express of Warrington and London. |
Choice FM launched in Birmingham in 1995, taking over the licence from Buzz FM. It was a sister station to Choice in London but it wasn’t to last as the station was sold and relaunched as Galaxy 102.2 in 1999. 
